


Touch of Love

by BrightEyesIllusionist



Series: 100 Themes Challenge [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: 100 Themes Challenge, AO3 FB Challenge, Awesome James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, Misunderstandings, Team Bonding, Touch-Starved, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-12 07:46:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15335193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrightEyesIllusionist/pseuds/BrightEyesIllusionist
Summary: The Avengers are finally living in the Tower, but for some reason they're all avoiding Tony and he doesn't know why.





	Touch of Love

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr Prompt from https://tonystarkismyprompt.tumblr.com/
> 
> Tony Stark Prompt:  
> Tony knew that he wasn’t worth anything, that he was disgusting. That’s why no one ever wanted to touch him, right? It’s why he was always the one on the outside watching as the team cuddled on the couch or patted each others’ shoulders casually. And he doesn’t blame them, really he doesn’t.  
> He just wished it didn’t hurt so much.  
> (Or a touch-starved Tony just wants a hug. Cue lots of cuddles)
> 
> This is also my response to the AO3 FB Challenge for July. My Roulette spin was Fandom: your choice Pairing: your choice Setting Hurt/Comfort Trope

“Hey, Tony! It's movie night, you coming?” Clint shouted down the hall to the kitchen where Tony was finishing up fixing the coffee machine for the umpteenth time. 

“Sure thing bird-brain!” He called back. “Just finishing up here!”

“Sweet! Hey, think you can make some popcorn while you're there?”

Tony sighed, a little over dramatically. “Fine.”

Clint laughed as he moved back into the common room. “Tony's making popcorn,” he announced. The other Avengers all murmured in assent from where they were sitting on the enormous sectional couch. Clint walked over and squeezed into the last sliver of space between Natasha and Steve.

“So what are we watching tonight?” Bruce asked from his place leaning on Thor.

“It's Bucky's turn to choose.” Steve piped up.

“Wall-E,” Bucky responded. He and Steve were squished together in the corner of the couch, right between everyone else. JARVIS obligingly brought the movie up onto the television.

Tony walked in, arms full of bowls of popcorn, and glanced around. He grinned as he saw the movie paused on the screen, but his face fell a little as he realized there wasn't any room for him near the others.

“Hey! Great, popcorn! Gimme!” Clint called. Tony quickly passed out the bowls and then walked over to sit on one of the armchairs on the other side of the room. As JARVIS dimmed the lights and started the film, he pulled his legs up onto the chair and hugged his knees to his chest.

It was fine, it was all fine. He was glad the others were getting closer as a team. They didn't need him getting in the way. He'd just ruin it.

Nobody noticed when he left the room partway through the film.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He should be used to it by now.

Tony had tried reaching out, a few weeks after they had all finally moved into the tower. He wasn't used to having so many people around him all the time, and it was disconcerting to almost always run into someone else when he would pass the common floor, even in the early morning there was at least one other person wandering around. The others had seemed to be drawing closer together, and Tony had desperately wanted to feel like part of the team. Carefully, he'd maneuvered so he bumped against Steve while he'd been making breakfast. Steve's reaction had been rather violent all things considered. The pan of scrambled eggs ended up smeared across the walls and had barely avoided hitting Tony in the face. Steve had looked apologetic afterwards, but Tony had backed off quickly after that.

No one could ever say Tony couldn't take a hint. Well, at least not one that obvious.

The rest of the team obviously felt similarly, because they avoided even brushing against him when they passed in the hall. Not even Bruce, when they were sciencing in the lab, would let their hands touch.

Yeah, Tony could take a hint.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Eventually, Tony stopped even going to the 'team bonding events'. No one noticed when he left early from them anyway, and at least this way he got uninterrupted lab time. He didn't bother going to team dinners anymore either. It was exhausting watching the others figure out how to pass him the potatoes without accidentally touching him. It would almost have been amusing, if it hadn't hurt so much.

Mostly he just sat down in his lab. He had smoothies and delivery down there. JARVIS took care of him. It was fine. He still answered calls to Assemble, and worked with the team, more or less. Sometimes it seemed like there were more occasions where Cap yelled at him for messing up than not, but hey, he'd saved that bus anyway, right?

He sighed and went back to working on new equipment for the team. Even if they didn't like him, he could do his best to make sure they were outfitted well.

“Sir, Mister Rhodes is requesting access to the Lab.” JARVIS interrupted his thought process.

“Platypus?!” Tony grinned. “Let him in J!”

The darkened glass of the lab doors swung open to admit Tony's oldest friend. 

“Hey Tones, how goes it?” Rhodey asked with a grin.

Tony launched himself across the room to envelop Rhodey in a bear hug. “Honey bear!”

“I missed you too,” Rhodey laughed as he caught Tony. “So how are your new friends? I thought for sure you'd be on the main floor attached to one of them.”

It took Tony just a second too long to offer a (only slightly brittle) laugh. “Oh, they're fine. I've just been working on stuff down here. You know how it goes.” He grinned. “Wanna see what I'm working on?”

Rhodey frowned slightly but nodded, and Tony needed no other encouragement to start running around talking at full speed about all the new toys he'd come up with.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Eventually, Tony ran out of steam and Rhodey was able to get him to sit down on the couch to watch a movie for awhile. Tony cuddled up next to his side and passed out within the first ten minutes.

“Okay JARVIS, what's up? Why is Tony down here all alone? It looks like he's been here for ages. Hasn't anyone come to check up on him?”

“I'm afraid not, Mister Rhodes. Sir has been removing himself from the other Avengers for some time now. He seems to be under the impression that they prefer it this way.” JARVIS tone was shaded, just slightly, with disdain. 

“Are you serious? What gave him that idea?” 

JARVIS pulled up a feed of security footage of the Tower to illustrate specific instances. “The other Avengers appear to avoid any physical contact with Sir. I have attempted to discuss the matter with Sir, but, as usual.”

“He doesn't listen, does he?” Rhodey finished. He sighed and rubbed a hand along his face before looking down at the sleeping genius. “Alright. I'll go talk to them. Let me know when he wakes up?” 

“Of course, sir.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Rhodey stormed onto the common floor to find the Avengers all cuddled up on the giant sectional watching another movie.

“JARVIS, pause the film,” Rhodey requested. The movie stopped mid scene and the Avengers all turned around.

“Hey!” Clint cried. “We were watching that!”

“Mister Rhodes!” Steve said in surprise. “We weren't expecting you. Is there something you need?”

Rhodey snorted. “You could say that. Why are you all avoiding Tony?”

Steve frowned. “We're not?”

“Isn't he in his lab?” Bruce asked. 

“Yeah,” Rhodey responded. “And according to JARVIS, he's been there for over a week. Why do you think that is?”

“Tony's a busy guy, I just thought he was working,” Clint stretched his arms out along the back of the couch. “It's not like he does much when he's up here anyway.”

Rhodey growled. “He's down there because he thinks none of you want him up here.”

“That is preposterous!” Thor bellowed. “This tower belongs to the Man of Iron, why would he not be welcome?”

“Maybe because you are all avoiding him?” Rhodey was getting fed up with all of them, surely they weren't really this dense? “You won't even touch him!”

Steve frowned, “But, Tony doesn't like to be touched. We're just respecting his boundaries.”

Rhodey slapped his hand across his face. “You are all idiots. What on Earth gave you that idea!?”

“It's in his file,” Natasha spoke up. “I read it before I took the assignment as his assistant. Mister Stark prefers not to be handed things and avoids human contact. I made sure we were all aware of that before coming here.”

“Please tell me you're kidding.”

Steve shook his head. “We've all been very careful.” He started.

“Whoever wrote that report was a complete and utter moron.” Rhodey shook his head. “Look, the only reason that I'm not kicking you all out now is because you had wrong information. But trust me when I say that if I find out this continues I will not hesitate to kick each and every one of your asses.”

“What?” 

“Tony is touch-starved. Has been since before I've known him. I'm not going to go into details because that's his business to tell you or not, but you all need to know that touch is VERY important to him. Basically you've all been telling him that you don't care and that you don't think he's worth the effort of reaching out.”

Steve's face went pale. “Wait, you mean he thinks we don't care about him?”

JARVIS finally pipped up. “Sir is under the impression that, as a whole, you would prefer if he were to exist elsewhere.”

“That's ridiculous!” Clint scowled. “Where else would he go?”

“Anywhere,” Rhodey responded. “Fix this. I can't be here all the time, but Tony needs people to care for him. Okay? I'm going to go back down to his lab and try to get him to come up sometime tomorrow. Don't screw it up again.” He turned and left, the elevator closing behind him ever so slightly more firmly than usual.

The Avengers looked around the room at each other.

“Looks like we've got some work to do.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rhodey was there when he woke up, at least, but he had to leave soon after.

“Sorry, Tones.” He frowned. “I did make some pasta for you though.” Tony perked up a little at hearing that. Rhodey made good pasta, and it had been awhile since he'd tasted it.

Rhodey grinned at him and gave him a last hug before heading towards the door. “See you later, Tony. Your pasta is upstairs.” The glass doors shut quietly behind him.

Tony frowned. “J? He didn't mean the penthouse, did he?”

“No, sir.”

“Where is the pasta?”

“The common floor kitchen, sir.”

Tony cursed under his breath. If it had been anything other than Rhodey's pasta or if he had been any less hungry he would have left it. As it was, the siren call of food beckoned too strong for him to ignore and he started making his way upstairs.

Tony could be sneaky when he wanted to be, but it was impossible to really sneak past a handful of spies and super-soldiers without being heard so before he could even open the fridge he was being called into the other room.

“Tony? Hey! Come here for a minute?” Tony flinched at Steve's voice, but walked away from the fridge and into the common room anyway. He plastered a smile on his face before letting himself come into view.

“Hey guys,” he shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned against the doorway. “What's up?”

Cap waved him over from his spot on the couch. “It's movie night! We've missed you the past few times. I know you're busy with stuff but it's your turn to pick.”

“We were hoping you would join us this time.” Natasha spoke up. She was sitting in Tony's usual armchair. He frowned.

“Um, sure I guess,” He shrugged. 

Steve waved Tony over again. “You can sit over here.” He motioned to a spot between himself and Bucky. Tony walked over slowly and sat down on the edge of the couch.

“Sure,” he turned to the TV. “Hey, J. Put on The Core. I feel like making fun of crap science.”

“As you wish, Sir.” The AI responded. The Television flickered to life as the movie started. 

Tony kept himself sitting rigidly on the edge of the couch, he could feel Steve moving behind him slightly, and a couple minutes into the film he felt Bucky's hand on his shoulder. 

“Can you lean back a bit?” he asked quietly. “You're blocking the screen.”

He started a bit at Bucky's whispered voice. “Oh yeah, sure, sorry.” He started to lean back into the couch, and as his back hit the cushion he felt Steve's arm across the back. He stiffened and pulled back a little. “You know I can just move. It's a little crowded here anyway and..”

“It's fine, Tony.” Steve's arm dropped around his shoulders to pull him back against the cushion and then stayed there, naturally bringing Tony to lean slightly against Steve's side. “Just watch the movie.”

Usually Tony enjoyed watching movies like this just to make fun of the clearly under-researched science behind the plot, but he couldn't even focus on that this time. Steve's arm and side were warm against him and he couldn't stop thinking about it.

Bucky's knee occasionally brushed against his own and every time it did he had to stop himself from flinching.

Finally the movie ended and the team started moving out of the room. As Clint passed behind him, he reached out to ruffle Tony's hair. 

“Night guys!” He said cheerfully. 

Natasha followed closely behind him and gave soft kisses to everyone's cheeks as she left, when she reached Tony, she left one on his forehead.

It was the final straw.

Tony jolted upwards.

“Okay, what the heck!” He stood and turned to face everyone. “What happened to you guys? Why are you all touchy all of a sudden?”

Steve leaned forward. “We're always like this, Tony.” He frowned. “We just haven't been with you before because we thought you didn't want to be touched.”

“That's mostly my fault.” Natasha piped up. “The file I was given before my assignment as your PA was incorrect in that regard.”

“We were attempting to be courteous of your preferences, Man of Iron. It was never our intention to convey a lack of affection.” Thor's face fell as he spoke. “It is a great misfortune that our intentions were misplaced.”

Tony's jaw was practically on the floor at this point. “Are you freaking serious?”

They all nodded and Tony buried his face in his hands. He started shaking and everyone leaned forward, concerned, until Tony started laughing. He threw his head back and wrapped his arms around his waist. 

“You! Ha! You've got to be kidding me!” He snorted. “THAT'S what this was all about?! You trying to be nice? We're all a bunch of idiots, aren't we?”

Tony flung his arms out in almost a challenge. “Alright, group hug!” 

The others grinned and practically launched themselves at Tony. The hug lasted for less than a second before they tipped over into a pile on the floor. Tony started laughing again and the rest of them joined him.

“I appreciate the effort, guys. But you suck at group hugs. Next time just ask me, okay?”

“We'll be sure to do that.” Steve grinned.

Eventually they stopped laughing and just enjoyed being in each others' company. It was nice until Tony's legs started falling asleep.

“Alright guys, that's enough. Everybody up! Y'all are heavy!” Tony's statement was met with another round of snickers before they started disentangling from each other. Finally Bucky leaned down to help Tony up.

“You good?” Bucky asked.

Tony thought about that for a second, then he grinned. “Yeah. Yeah I'm great.”

**Author's Note:**

> So this took me a lot longer to write than I intended and it ended up longer than I though too. Oh well. I'm not entirely happy with it but there you go. I've never written Hurt/Comfort before, so I hope you all enjoyed my first foray into the trope.


End file.
